Introduction
Spanish verbs of command are essential for giving orders, making requests, and offering instructions. This article explains how commands work with direct and indirect objects, covering formal and informal forms, affirmative and negative commands, and where to place pronouns. Clear examples and cultural notes will help English-speaking learners use commands naturally.
What are Spanish verbs of command?
Spanish verbs of command, also called the imperative mood, let you tell someone to do something. Commands change depending on who you are speaking to: familiar friends, multiple people, or someone you must address politely. Spanish also distinguishes between affirmative commands (do this) and negative commands (don’t do this).
Basic imperative forms
The imperative uses different conjugations for tú, usted, vosotros, ustedes, and nosotros. For most verbs, affirmative and negative forms differ for the familiar tú and for vosotros. For regular verbs, the patterns are:
tú affirmative: use third-person singular of the present indicative for reflexive verbs? No — use the third-person singular of the present indicative for some irregulars, but generally tú affirmative uses the present indicative stem with specific endings.
Examples with hablar, comer, vivir:
habla (tú affirmative)
no hables (tú negative)
come (tú affirmative)
no comas (tú negative)
vive (tú affirmative)
no vivas (tú negative)
usted affirmative/negative uses the third-person singular subjunctive: hable / no hable.
ustedes uses the third-person plural subjunctive: hablen / no hablen.
nosotros uses the first-person plural subjunctive: hablemos / no hablemos.
vosotros affirmative adds a -d to the infinitive stem: hablad; negative uses subjunctive: no habléis.
Direct and indirect object pronouns in commands
Direct and indirect object pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition and to make speech more efficient. Direct objects answer who or what receives the action (me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las). Indirect objects answer to whom or for whom the action is done (me, te, le, nos, os, les).
Placement rules: affirmative vs negative commands
One of the most important rules is where to place object pronouns with commands. For affirmative commands, pronouns attach to the end of the verb as enclitics. For negative commands, pronouns go before the verb and after the word no. This difference affects stress and sometimes requires an accent mark.
Examples with the verb dar (to give):
Affirmative tú: dame el libro = give me the book.
Negative tú: no me des el libro = don’t give me the book.
Affirmative usted: dele el libro = give him/her the book (note that with usted the correct form is déle with an accent to preserve stress when a pronoun is attached).
Negative usted: no le dé el libro.
Order when using both pronouns
When you use both a direct and an indirect object pronoun together, Spanish has a fixed order: indirect object pronoun first, then direct object pronoun. For example: me lo, te la, se los. Note the special change of le/les to se when followed by lo, la, los, or las.
Affirmative: attach both pronouns to the verb.
Negative: place both pronouns before the verb, after no.
Examples with traer (to bring):
Trae el paquete a María = Bring the package to María.
Affirmative tú with pronouns: tráeselo = bring it to her.
Negative tú with pronouns: no se lo traigas = don’t bring it to her.
Step-by-step: forming commands with pronouns
Step 1: Identify the type of command (affirmative or negative) and the person (tú, usted, nosotros, vosotros, ustedes).
Step 2: Conjugate the verb in the correct imperative form.
Step 3: Choose the correct pronouns for direct and indirect objects and order them indirect + direct.
Step 4: Attach pronouns if the command is affirmative. If negative, put pronouns before the verb after no. Add accents to maintain original stress if necessary.
Example process
Sentence to form: Tell him the truth. (In Spanish: decir la verdad a él).
Step 1: Person and polarity: affirmative, tú or usted? We’ll use tú for informal: tell him.
Step 2: Conjugate decir in the affirmative tú: di.
Step 3: Pronouns: direct object = la verdad = la. Indirect object = to him = le. Order: le + la. Because le + la becomes se + la.
Step 4: Attach to the verb (affirmative): dísela. Note the accent mark because attaching two pronouns changes the stress: dí + se + la but written dísela to keep stress on original syllable.
For a negative tú: no le digas la verdad = do not tell him the truth. Pronouns remain before the verb, so no le digas la verdad (no se la digas is also possible with pronouns replacing the noun: no se la digas).
Accent rules when attaching pronouns
Attaching pronouns to an affirmative command often changes the natural stress of the word. Spanish writing requires accent marks to preserve pronunciation. The general rule: when adding one or two pronouns to an affirmative command, count syllables and add an accent to keep the original stress. If the original verb form has one pronoun attached and the stress would shift, add an accent accordingly.
Examples:
Compra + lo = cómpralo (accent added to keep stress on the first syllable).
Haz + lo = hazlo (no accent needed if stress remains correct).
Vete + lo? For reflexive plus direct object: vete + lo = vételo (accent added).
When using nosotros affirmative commands with pronouns, the final s is dropped when attaching a pronoun. Example: vamos + a + lo becomes vámonos or vamos + lo becomes vamonos? Correct form: vámonos (reflexive pronoun nos attached) and an accent is added to preserve stress.
Common patterns with reflexive verbs
Reflexive verbs add the reflexive pronoun se, me, te, nos, os. In affirmative commands, attach the reflexive pronoun. With additional direct or indirect object pronouns, the order remains indirect + direct, but reflexive pronouns behave like indirect objects.
Example with levantarse (to get up):
Levántate = get up (tú affirmative).
No te levantes = don’t get up (tú negative).
With another object: Put on your shoes = ponte los zapatos.
Don’t put them on = no te los pongas.
Formal commands and courtesy
Formal commands use usted and ustedes. These use the present subjunctive forms. Pronoun placement follows the same rules: attach in affirmative, place before the verb in negative. Because formal forms often require an accent when pronouns are attached, watch for the accent to preserve stress.
Examples:
Usted affirmative: enséñeme los documentos = show me the documents.
Usted negative: no me enseñe los documentos.
Ustedes affirmative: díganmelo = tell it to me (accent added).
Ustedes negative: no me lo digan.
Vosotros commands in Spain
Vosotros affirmative commands are formed by replacing the infinitive -r with -d: hablar -> hablad. Pronouns attach to affirmative vosotros similarly. For negative vosotros, use the subjunctive and place pronouns before the verb.
Examples:
Habladme cuando lleguéis = talk to me when you arrive (Spain).
No me habléis durante la clase = don’t speak to me during class.
Real-speech examples and nuances
Commands appear in casual speech, instructions, recipes, and signage. Tone and politeness matter. In many Spanish-speaking countries, using tú vs usted reflects familiarity, age, regional norms, and social context.
Examples with multiple pronouns and everyday verbs:
Give it to me = dámelo (tú affirmative).
Don’t give it to me = no me lo des (tú negative).
Bring them to us = tráenoslos (tú affirmative).
Don’t bring them to us = no nos los traigas (tú negative).
Tell me the truth = dime la verdad (tú affirmative) or dígame la verdad (usted affirmative).
Don’t tell me lies = no me digas mentiras (tú negative) or no me diga mentiras (usted negative).
Cultural notes on commands
In many Spanish-speaking cultures, direct commands can sound rude if used improperly. Using please with commands or choosing the polite usted form softens requests. Insert por favor before or after the command to be more polite: por favor dime vs dime por favor. Some regions also favor using subjunctive-based constructions or indirect phrasing, such as podrías + infinitive to make requests less direct.
Common mistakes and tips
1. Forgetting to change le/les to se before lo/la/los/las. Always convert le/les to se when followed by a direct object pronoun.
Incorrect: dile lo. Correct: díselo.
2. Wrong pronoun order. Indirect before direct.
Incorrect: me lo dice. Correct in a command: dímelo / no me lo digas for negative.
3. Wrong placement in negatives. Remember that pronouns never attach to negative commands.
Incorrect: no dímelo. Correct: no me lo digas.
4. Missing accent marks when attaching pronouns to preserve stress. Add accents where required, especially with two pronouns attached.
5. Overusing tú in formal contexts. Choose usted when politeness or respect is needed.
Quick reference cheat-sheet
Affirmative commands: attach pronouns to the end of the verb.
Negative commands: place pronouns before the verb, after no.
Order of pronouns: indirect + direct.
Change le/les to se when followed by lo/la/los/las.
Add accents when attaching pronouns if stress changes.
Conclusion
Understanding Spanish verbs of command with direct and indirect objects requires mastering conjugation patterns, pronoun order, placement differences between affirmative and negative commands, and accent rules. With practice, these structures become natural. Remember cultural norms about formality and tone to make your commands clear and polite in real conversations.
